


Colour Theory

by Sophisticated_Adult



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, idiots being idiots at each other, that's it that's the pairing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-14 07:29:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19268605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sophisticated_Adult/pseuds/Sophisticated_Adult
Summary: It meant nothing, Manjoume had to start reassuring himself, that Judai's hair and eye colour were the same warm brown he'd pointed out on the colour chart he'd been given as a child. He still remembered his brothers' disapproving “that's a common colour, Jun,” as though it was his fault, as though he'd had a choice in which colour he went through life seeing against the greyscale world until he met his soulmate.or: that AU where the only colours you can see are your soulmate's hair & eye colour, and it's only when you touch each other for the first time that you can see in full colour.





	Colour Theory

**Author's Note:**

> haven't actually rewatched GX so I'm probably getting stuff wrong re: plot and such. don't care, have these idiots.

The first time he saw _that_ hair, from a distance as he sat in the audience of the school try-outs, it had certainly caught his attention – but he'd seen the same colour before and they had all been duds, so his only outward reaction was to grip the sides of his seat and lean forward, focussing intently on the prospective student Chronos-sensei himself deigned to grant a Duel. When Yuki Judai won handily against Chronos' ace monster, Manjoume's eyes narrowed. It wasn't Tenjouin-san, but she was as grey as everyone else, and perhaps a clearly gifted Duelist like the one celebrating below could be someone Manjoume could tolerate.

 _Perhaps_ turned out to be the correct word.

He'd called Judai out to a Duel and it had gone...surprisingly, both of them playing well and clashing fiercely against each other with a fire Manjoume hadn't felt in a long time.

It was everything _else_ about Judai – slacker, scatter-brained, unbearably _idiotic_ that was the problem.

Manjoume watched in increasing horror as the idiot slept through classes and was no better when he was awake for them – he was impressed by the most obvious and simple combos the teachers went over, laughed with his friends and failed to take absolutely anything seriously. 

It meant nothing, Manjoume had to start reassuring himself, that Judai's hair and eye colour were the same warm brown he'd pointed out on the colour chart he'd been given as a child. He still remembered his brothers' disapproving “that's a common colour, Jun,” as though it was his fault, as though he'd had a choice in which colour he went through life seeing against the greyscale world until he met his soulmate. 

He'd seen it on others, eyes or hair but rarely both and never anyone who'd given him the same recognition. Indeed, Judai himself hadn't acted any differently towards him; surely he was too obsessed with Duel Monsters to even _have_ a soulmate. So Manjoume dismissed him as the moron he was and kept his distance as best he could, even with that mop of mahogany hair acting like a beacon – it was hard to look away once it was in his sight. Nevertheless, Operation: Avoid Judai At All Costs was underway.

His attempts proved poor at best. Somehow Judai managed to keep cropping up in his life despite Manjoume's loud insistence that he would really rather not, thank you very much, but whatever hare-brained stupidity Judai managed to involve him in, Manjoume was careful to keep his distance. Judai was free and uncaring when it came to grabbing people into hugs or enthusiastically shaking their hand, but by some miracle he seemed to accept the distance between them and turned his physical attention elsewhere.

And that was _fine_.

It was a bitter disappointment for Manjoume when he accepted that it wasn't Tenjouin-san, a fine partner in any situation and the only one on the whole island Manojume could see himself tolerating for any long-term stretch, and he quietly mourned his loss and continued to resent Judai for existing in general.

Even in Obelisk Blue, soulmates were second only to Duel Monsters in terms of conversation and gossip. Manjoume avoided the subject the way he avoided Judai – poorly – but he grew a reputation for considering such chatter beneath him, and people learned to drop it after the first scoffing laugh. An ugly jealously still twisted in his gut when he went to investigate a commotion in the common room and there was squealing and celebration over two first year girls who'd touched when they went to shuffle each other's decks, and suddenly their world was full colour and it was _amazing_ , you guys, you have _no idea_ –

Manjoume stomped back upstairs to avoid the rest of _that_ , and tried to block it out with his pillow over his ears when the party continued into the night. 

\---

Events...occurred. From his shameful expulsion to his glorious return, to his absolute victory over his own brothers while using a deck with only zero attack monsters.

Manjoume had little time to celebrate his victory, however. As the cheering and cries of _Manjoume Thunder!_ rang out, running footsteps and a cry of “Manjoume, you did it!” and someone barrelled into him from behind.

It was a full-blown Judai Hug, the kind he'd seen before and inwardly shuddered at. “Get _off!_ ” Manjoume went to push him, but then his world wrenched sideways. Judai's grip on his proud North Academy coat intensified, as if hanging on to a lifeline. They both froze, each working out what had happened at the same time.

“Uh. So are you seeing this too, or–?” Judai spoke first, and it was the catalyst for movement. Manjoume broke free and stumbled back, eyes wide and wild. “Don't – don't –” it was a little late for _don't touch me_. Lacking options, desperately unwilling to face the reality his own eyes were giving him, Manjoume fled before Judai could pull himself together.

“H-hey! Manjoume!” Judai reached out but he was long gone, and suddenly the noise of the crowd came back, students moving on to wherever they had to be after the main event was over. 

“Aniki! Aniki!” And Shou, scrambling up to the stage after racing from the stands. “Aniki, are you all right? What happened? Why did Manjoume run away like that?”

“I...” Judai waited, hesitant to put meaning or weight behind anything at first in case it was some kind of trick. After a few seconds where Shou gave him his space as he got up and dusted himself off, it was his school jacket that did it.

“Wow.” Judai held the material between his fingers. “This is red?” It was so bright! He'd had no idea how cool it looked! 

“A-aniki?” Shou asked, thrown off by the strange response.

“It's amazing!” Judai blurted out, spinning in a circle to see everything, everything and everyone that had been grey before but now, now, it was all so – amazing! “Shou! Your hair!” He pointed, the smaller boy starting at the sudden movement. “W-what about it?”

“It looks so cool! Do you know it looks like that?”

“Like –” Realisation dawned. “Aniki, you can't be serious! Are you – seeing – does that mean –” 

“Yeah! I'm seeing all colours and stuff, it's incredible! You think people are just talking it up but wow, _wow!_ Hey! Hey, we need to Duel right now!” 

“T-that's amazing, Aniki, but, um, maybe, there's, you should probably go after him?” Judai froze mid-point as he realised what Shou was getting at. 

“Ah, right.” Judai lowered his hand. His – soulmate. His real, actual soulmate, who existed, who had _black hair and grey eyes_ and that _really_ wasn't fair, how was he supposed to ever tell before now? “Er, okay. Promise me later, though! I gotta see, like, _every_ card like this!” Judai started walking backwards, saluted Shou, then turned around, sparing a glance at Manjoume's brothers – they were still arguing with each other, and they didn't even seem to have noticed the drama going on across the hall. Probably a good thing, Judai figured. 

“Okay!” Shou called after him as Judai broke into a full-on sprint in the direction Manjoume had fled. “Tell me what happens, though!” He cupped his hands to call to his rapidly disappearing Aniki.

\---

Judai passed a group of girls going in the other direction down the corridor – Obelisk Blue, he guessed, since he was Red (and _wow_ was red _really cool_ ) and they didn't look like Misawa's Ra Yellow uniform. He grinned at them but couldn't stop to chat, there were more important things happening, and he heard them giggling as he rounded a corner.

Manjoume. He was predictable, much as he'd insist he wasn't. He'd find the nearest safe spot, and –

Bingo. As soon as Judai entered the boys' bathroom he could hear shallow breathing coming from one of the stalls, with the occasional gulping gasp like he was trying to stabilise. 

“Hey, are you OK?” Judai asked, catching his own breath as he trotted over to the stall in question. “You're not having a panic attack or anything, right?” He was a little worried that he'd have to call the nurse if this kept up, but thankfully there was silence, followed by some shuffling on the other side of the door until it was forcibly yanked open and there was Manjoume, in all his dishevelled glory.

“How would _you_ know what a panic attack sounds like, idiot?” Manjoume sneered.

“Dunno,” Judai replied, standing a little to the side to let the other boy stomp past him to the washbasin. “You seemed pretty panicked back there.” He'd have a hard time forgetting the look of pure horror on Manjoume's face as he'd been shoved away, that was for sure. 

Manjoume didn't answer, staring at himself in the mirror and gripping the sink instead. “God, is this what I look like?” he muttered. “I look like a complete wreck.” 

“I think you look cool, Manjoume,” Judai told him, and would have loyally meant it even if both their lives hadn't just been upended by a hug ten minutes ago.

Manjoume's reflection scowled at him, and grey (grey!) eyes narrowed. “'-san',” definitely-his-soulmate said, but it was weary. Finally he straightened, dusting himself off. “'That's a common colour, Jun,'” he said, in an odd voice Judai couldn't begin to identify the feelings behind. “Liars. Do you know how many people I've seen with your exact combination of hair and eye colour?” Manjoume turned and jabbed an accusatory finger. “One.” 

“Hey, well, you gave me this to work with,” Judai retorted, reaching up to poke at one of Manjoume's black hair spikes and getting his hand batted irritably away for his trouble. Their second ever physical contact, he thought, and it was so _easy_. “I just figured I couldn't see _any_ colours at all, so I didn't even _have_ – anyone, but I thought, hey, more Duelling for me.” 

“That's – seriously what you thought?” Manjoume paused, staring at him. The moment was fleeting, but it was nice, Judai thought. “That explains _so much._ ” Judai just shrugged, grinning.

“So are we cool?” he asked, threading his hands through the hair on the back of his head. “We _gotta_ duel, Manjoume, we can see _everything_ now!” 

“I –” Manjoume paused again, like he was just realising what Judai had immediately thought the second he'd figured out what had happened. “I suppose –” 

“Boss! We just can't hold it in any more!”

“I don't really get what's going on, but congratulations!”

“I'm so happy for you!”

The three Ojama spirits burst into view, each one crying a spectacular waterfall of tears. Manjoume's expression morphed into terror, and he nearly tripped over himself as he scrambled away. “No! Don't you _dare_ touch me! Oh god, you're even more disgusting in colour-” 

Judai laughed at the scene, then grinned as Winged Kuriboh popped out from behind his shoulder.

“Kuri?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Judai chuckled, deciding that this was one of the best days of his life as he reached out to give the little guy his well-earned pets.

**Author's Note:**

> as always, this has been half-written for forever, but shout out to AO3 for shortening June to Jun and me realising 'ah fuck, that's Manjoume's name and it's Pride and I gotta post something for them, I can probably finish up that soulmate colour AU thing' for spurring me into this kind of choppy and sorta bare-bones end result but it's a thing that exists and that's better than not existing.
> 
> tumblr: <https://of-nyon.tumblr.com/>


End file.
